There is a meme doing the rounds that says: ‘I didn’t realise how common miscarriage was until I had one’. This is the same story for many families who have suffered the loss of a baby through miscarriage and stillbirth, SIDS, and the death of a newborn.
Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day is an annual day of remembrance for the families of lost babies and is observed on October 15.
Pause, reflect and honour a life lost
On this very special day families and friends who have been touched by pregnancy and infant loss are given the opportunity to pause, reflect and honour the life of their precious angel. It is also a way to bring about greater public awareness of pregnancy loss, and the importance of acknowledging the impact this loss has on families.
Zonta International (ZI) is a 100 year old worldwide voluntary service organisation passionate about advancing the status of women. They work collaboratively through service and advocacy to improve the lives of vulnerable women and to empower women and girls at the local, national and international level.
Under ZI, Zonta Club of Northern Rivers (ZNR) was established in 1996 and currently has 13 active members. They are all business or professional women who share knowledge and contribute valuable skills and time to raise funds and deliver projects that assist women and girls in various stages of life. Zonta Club of Northern Rivers supports ZI’s commitment to global projects, including an end to child marriage and gender-based violence, and we also have an active local focus.
The Zonta Room and The Little Angels Memorial Garden
The group established The Zonta Room at Lismore Base Hospital, a space located in the Women’s Care Unit. The room is dedicated to families who experience stillbirth. It is lovingly maintained by Zonta members so families may grieve in private while still receiving the post-natal care they need.
A valuable extension of this is the newly established Little Angels Memorial Garden at the Lismore Crematorium and Memorial Gardens in Goonellabah. Here, local families who have suffered loss through miscarriage or stillbirth may reflect and remember in a peaceful setting.
The garden was created in 2019 and was the culmination of three years’ work in establishing a place where families can meet to honour their little lost angel.
The Zonta Club of Northern Rivers will hold an informal gathering at the Little Angels Memorial Garden today, Friday October 15.
Families and friends are welcome in the garden from 2pm. Please bring your own refreshments and a blanket or chair to sit on.
For more information about Zonta, visit their website.
